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Friday, December 13, 2013

Green rice pulao with mint, cilantro and peas

You may consider me a tad bit weird when it comes to mind confessionals, but I have to tell you, I believe the Internet talks to me on a regular basis. Sometimes its more than once a day, repetitive reminders from my superbright screen. It boldly interrupts any productive, read:all, thoughts I have, setting offkey my routine and schedule, while gladly straightloading customised ideas and plans for my day. It turns extremely vocal during this time of year, pointing out the need for 100 new cookie recipes, in an all favorite(!) cookie publication. Baking trays that have seen better days, got chumped over for the ones on my Amazon wishlist, with air venting and all, and should be at my door, tomorrow, right? Of course, I'd be saving myself a ton of money and trips to Michael's if I just weborder the massive supply of nonpareils (does it make a difference that they're neon?) now invading every nook of my kitchen floor. Imagine the creepy realization that your sidebar has a mind of its own, periodically suggesting the magnetic measuring spoons and itsasteal parchment replacing silicone liners. You see where this is going?
Even still, I wasn't going to be bullied into blatant consumerism (*ahem, cough, cough**) . That's when the Grinch put it into perspective. In all his antiheroness, he said it right... "Christmas doesn't come from a store (screen ones included), Christmas, perhaps means...a little bit more?"And yes though the meaning and the gift will never leave the very beings of my soul, even I require common thought intervention, away from the routineness of flour and baking soda.

And so it came to be, my revelation, maybe unconventional, this consideration of sharing colored rice that may put aside your baker's rhythm and steers the head clear lugging into its parallel a great grains frame of mind.

So people, let's talk about this, because that's all I want to do today. It's the rarelyconsidered main that can help you in your days leading upto and after Christmas menu planning. Perhaps it might stage its way into earning centerplace, where pegs of grinchcoloreed rice become noteworthy and trump mighty protein on any night's dinner prospect .

Empathize with me here. I'm a little overobsessive over rice, owing to a cerealandgrains genetic input, a salute to those worldparts where I'm from, places where its unimaginable to meal-do without it. And though there will always be a louder, more universal rant for big slabs of meat and servings of fish, my experience knows a heaping plate of hot rice can achieve greatness with some coercing, and can scream as much good cheer as a decked out pot roast. Do I hear any calls of agreement on that? Please?

For the matter at hand, today's rice story relies on a simple five ingredient merger: garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint, lemon juice, which become the foundation of a chunky dream sauce for each kernel to hinge into, bite by bite. Thus, oryza sativa is brought to its higher calling, dazzling emerald beauty on a plate, surging with flavor and reaching its destiny of a dream-come-true in cereal preparation.

I say you should. Share some love. Your friends will consider it divine providence to be on your guest list with green rice on the menu. Not to stop there, because it will totally fit that inapinch dinner bill, you know, where you can't miss Linus narrating the Christmas story, so mesmerising that you unresistingly reach for recurrent helpings. Ingredients:

3-4 tbsp chopped garlic

1" piece ginger, chopped

2-3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

4-5 large sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped

4 mint stems, with leaves, chopped

3-4 tbsp cooking oil

1 bay leaf (optional)

2 cups Basmati rice - rinsed 2-3 times

3 ¾ cups hot water

2 tsp salt or enough for flavor

1 cup frozen green peas

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, pulse garlic, ginger, lemon juice, cilantro and mint till blended with the consistency of thick paste, not too drippy.

In a deep set saucepan or dutch oven(large enough to cook rice), heat oil over medium heat. If using, add bay leaf.

If needed, reduce flame to medium-low and stir in blended green paste. Saute until ingredients are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Mix in cleaned, drained rice. Stir in with the ingredients until well coated.

Open lid and add the peas. Turn off heat. Cover tightly and allow the frozen peas too thaw and plump and rice to cook through (all water absorbed) with the remaining heat of the pan, about 10-12 minutes.

Fluff with fork before serving.

* You could swap 1 tbsp ghee or butter for the oil.

* What is pulao? Pulao, also known as pilaf refers to a steamed rice dish. It may include meats, seafood and/or a variety of vegetables. Its known for its fragrant aroma, due in part to the spices/herb ingredients and rice used.

To side this with plain yogurt would be great. To serve alongside masala fried chicken takes it to the phenomenal and beyond realm.

****** "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. " Micah 5:2

what a relief!!! hehe... agree to what meena has said... we had something similar sometime ago when my office mates and I had gone to an eatery close by to our office... they had this green pulao which went so good with dal and chicken, u remind me of that... have to try your version when I am able to do it... :)

About Me

Welcome! My name is Tisa and this is my blog. I'm not a chef. I am the mom who loves to eat and feed her kids, enthusiastically so. No other way to say it in that I love food and anything that has to do with it. It is in this pursuit, I discover, experiment and create meals that are tried and tested gold, modified favorites, as well as new discoveries I tumble upon. Here, I've journaled not only recipes that reflect my heritage, but those that take influence from many parts of our globe.So, stay awhile and thumb through these blessings from my kitchen and be inspired to create a few of your own. Have fun. Joyful cooking!